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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28736274">Werewolf Aide</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvianKing/pseuds/AvianKing'>AvianKing</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Original Work</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fantasy, Multi, Mythical Beings &amp; Creatures, Original Fiction, Science Fiction &amp; Fantasy, Sirens, Vampires, Werewolf Aide, Werewolves</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 13:02:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>17,618</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28736274</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvianKing/pseuds/AvianKing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In the small Southern town of Haven, Dillon Matthews never gave much thought to the supernatural. Maybe they were real, maybe they weren't. Who was he to say?</p><p>Until one night when he finds his co-worker, Kory, running around the woods with a wolf that turned into a human at sunrise. His interest grows even more when Kory won't give him even a hint of an explanation.</p><p>Dillon isn't one to let things go. But once he's pushed his way into Kory's world, will he find friends or enemies?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. We're All Tired</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is an original fiction that I have nowhere else to post so we're doing it here! Thus, I've edited it to reflect the normal paragraph and spacing style on ao3. I hope you like werewolves!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I was born with extremely good hearing. No ear troubles or surgeries, never had a problem hearing one of my moms shouting at me to do the dishes from the otherside of the house. Immaculate hearing you could say.</p><p>Until I got a job washing cars and had to hear an eardrum-shattering buzzer several damn times a day.</p><p>
  <i> “ERRRRRR!”</i>
</p><p> I flinched and my shoulders hunched in with the feeling of my joints popping. Even after months of it, I still reacted to the cursed thing every time. Shaking off the infliction, I prepped the Ford truck with mud caked running boards and hay straw stuck in the windshield wipers.</p><p>I took them out one by one in a hazy state. Despite being surrounded by loud machines, blowers, and chemicals that were surely degrading my life expectancy, my eyes were begging for a rest.</p><p> After the Ford was gone and hopefully clean, I trudged across the tunnel to the open garage door. The early afternoon air was warm and I could stand just in the right spot to feel the sun beaming down through the clouds, but still in the shade to escape getting burned to the 5th degree. Whatever kept me awake.</p><p>The other two on shift with me were just as tired. Carson, a tall lanky 17 year old, leaned against the wall just out of view of the cameras and pulled out her phone. Kory, a short feminine college student, draped himself over the console and groaned.</p><p>“What’s with you?” Carson asked, briefly glancing up. I could see a conversation filled with hearts on her screen.</p><p>“I’m tired.” Kory lifted his head to rub his eyes and turned around to use the console as the only means of supporting his small body. “I was up all night working on an assignment for MacroEcon.”</p><p>I folded my arms on the other side and smiled. “Did you finish it?”</p><p>He snorted. “Not even a little bit.”</p><p>Carson laughed half heartedly and pocketed her phone. “I got like three hours, also homework. Man I hate Biology.”</p><p>They both looked at me expectantly and I couldn’t help the sleepy grin on my face. “Two hours. I had to win a round of Counter Strike before I went to bed.”</p><p>They both laughed and Kory rolled his eyes. “I swear none of y’all have decent sleep patterns.”</p><p>“Says you.”</p><p>Before he could retort, a car pulled up and we all groaned. Parting ways the short distance to our posts, I grabbed the soapy brush and used it as a cane in the chilly sunlight beaming through the tunnel.</p><p>We washed cars for hours until finally our shift ended. As soon as the closers came in, we darted out the door and off company property to our cars across the street; playfully pushing each other towards the cars slowly pulling onto the road and leaping over the painted lines.</p><p>Carson took off his hat and tossed it into her truck’s tool box. “Do y’all work tomorrow?” she asked after a stifled yawn..</p><p>Kory rummaged through his pockets for his keys and dramatically fell against the side of his own truck. “Yesss, first thing in the morning too.”</p><p>“Ditto,” I added as I got into my car. It was a small hunk of metal that just barely got me from one end of Haven to the other, but it was my hunk of metal and I was willingly to defend it to the grave.</p><p>Kory huffed out a weak, tired laugh. “Good, we can suffer together. I already know I’m not getting any more sleep tonight.” He waved and both he and Carson peeled out of the lot.</p><p>As I cranked my car, I couldn’t help but wonder how our workplace managed to function being run by sleep deprived young adults no older than 25. Our manager himself was only 22 and got just as much sleep between trying to live somewhat of a life outside of work and having to be called in every other day when something envidentaly broke. Thankfully he wasn’t a student either or he’d never get any rest.</p><p>I graduated high school back in the Fall and was now taking a semester (or two) off. It wasn’t uncommon at the wash; most people were either college students or college-aged but working full time. It wasn’t a dead end job so none of us felt the need to leave it. Especially the people who lived inHaven their whole lives, like me.</p><p>I shook my head. I didn’t regret my decision back then and I still didn’t. No need to keep dwelling on it. By then, both Carson and Kory were long gone so I drove out of the lot and down the main road.</p><p>My house took multiple dirt roads to get to, twisting and turning over scattered pebbles and broken down trees from years of hurricanes that no one bothered to clean up. Every hurricane season came with a fun game of ‘will we be able to leave our driveway or are we stuck off-roading it?’</p><p>It was a one-story home in a field with various small gardens. Instead of just one garden with multiple crops, my mom had them all separated into their own plots, creating a sort of maze with the house in the center. It used to be a trailer, or really still was, but a couple years back my uncle had turned the back porch into two additional rooms with a short hallway, giving the illusion it was bigger than it actually was.</p><p>I parked my car next to Mom’s that she now shared with Mama after they gave hers to me. Weaving through the mini gardens, I ran my hand lightly over the barbed wire protecting the vegetables from wild animals. The rusty intertwined metal pricked my palm, but hurt no more than scratching it with my own nail.</p><p>The plot closest to the house was my favorite, watermelons. I paused to check on the progress but froze completely. One side of the fence was severely bent, the wire stretching further down than it should’ve been. A basket of dirty carrots had fallen on its side on the outside of the plot and spilled its contents on the freshly cut grass.</p><p>Glancing at the woods ahead of me, I kneeled down next to the basket and picked it up to start gathering the carrots back up. As I did, a deep feeling started bearing down on my back while something much more light ran up my back. I froze in place, my hand reaching out to grab yet another carrot.</p><p>My head slowly turned on its own towards the woods. Trees teetering high above, threatening to block out any sign of the sky. Trunks so close together with branches high-fiving each other caused darkness to erupt among them. I normally couldn’t see a thing.</p><p>Until now. Until a dog emerged at the edge of the wall of wood. A big, shaggy dog with auburn fur and narrowing black eyes. It took one step forward and I willed myself to move but nothing happened.</p><p>The feeling bore into my spine and just as my limbs began the shake, the front door flew open and my neck practically broke as I snapped behind me. My mom came out, hands on her hips and staring at me. “I was wondering what I did with those darn carrots. Dillon, honey, could you please bring them inside for me?”</p><p>I spun back around to the woods to call out the threat of a hungry dog that definitely wasn’t salivating over the carrots, but it was gone. The darkness was empty once again. Allegedly.</p><p>I shook off the feeling and quickly picked up the last carrot. “Sure Mom!” I tossed it into the basket and pushed myself to my feet. With one last look into the empty woods, I followed her inside. “What happened to the fence?”</p><p>“What do you mean?” She looked behind me and her face twisted with confusion. “I must have stepped on it and didn’t notice. I’ll fix it after dinner, no worries!”</p><p>I didn’t bring up the fact that my thin and physically weak mom definitely couldn’t have bent that wire fence.</p><p>Dinner was already done and I collapsed into my chair at the table, not even bothering to shower off the mud and soap before flopping my head onto the wood and stretching my dirty sleeves to take a plate.</p><p>Mama sat down across from me and wrinkled her nose. “Yikes, you smell worse and worse every day you come home, dew drop.”</p><p>I smiled and flicked some of the dust off my arm in her direction. The particles narrowly missed flying right into her drink. “Sorry, Mama,” I said, not sorry at all.</p><p> She squinted and scooped up a bit of green beans, moving to take a bite before flicking her wrist and sending it right into my mashed potatoes. “Sorry, dew drop.”</p><p>Before I could command up my own utensils and retaliate, Mom came in carrying an ice tea jug and huffed. “Children, the both of you.” She set the jug on the table and shook her head as both me and Mama grappled for the handle. “Take turns! Lily, let Dillon pour first, he just got home.”</p><p>Mama dramatically relinquished the jug and I grinned triumphantly. After pouring more sweet tea than anyone would ever need, my phone buzzed so I poured some for my Mama like the good son I was and slipped it out of my pocket.</p><p>
  <i>Several new posts! Tap to check them out!</i>
</p><p>Scrolling through Instagram, a post made my thumb stop. A picture of one of my old classmates, Taylor, standing in front of a college dorm building. A large blue tub with wheels, filled with pillows, duffle bags, and a floor lamp was next to him. She gave the camera a thumbs up and a toothy grin, the caption reading: Operation Move-In was a success! Can’t wait to spend my next year in a cinder block room, but at least I’ll have my trusty Blueberry!</p><p>I chuckled despite the pang in my chest. Blueberry was the nickname for the patched up blue bean bag chair Taylor had that I remembered from the times I stayed over at her house for study groups-turned-sleepovers. Events her parents were always for some reason upset over but also didn’t stop.</p><p>“No phones at the table, honey.” Mom scolded me, gently tapping the edge of my plate with the wooden spoon. I smiled and nodded then went back to mindlessly swiping through my phone. Mom sighed and looked at Mama. “He gets this from you.”</p><p>Mama simply bit back a grin and stared at her own phone, not messing with it just pointedly pretending to not acknowledge her. Mom tutted and playfully whacked her in the shoulder with the spoon. “Phones down and let’s talk about our days, please!”</p><p>Mama laughed and held up her hands in surrender. “Alright, alright! Whatever my love wishes.” She leaned up to kiss Mom on the cheek and I exaggeratedly gagged. “How was work, dew drop?”</p><p>We all ate while I went into exhaustingly detail about each and every customer that annoyed me that day. Which was about…99% of them. Hey, after the nth person complains about signing up for something they weren’t aware they were signing up for, despite agreeing to the terms and conditions of what they were signing up for, it got a bit tedious to listen to.</p><p>Mama barked out a laugh, nearly choking on her spaghetti. “Oh I really don’t miss retail. Every day was a new grand adventure, complete with nonsensical customers who wanted to return items not even from our store.” She shook her head and mimicked one of such people. “‘I need to return this shirt that looks like it was dragged through the runner and was bought 3 years ago. Cash please, no store credit necessary’”.</p><p>I was suddenly very grateful for my regulars, mostly wholesome and, more importantly, reasonable. Mom smiled and daintingly took a bite of garlic bread, wincing as she always did. Why she continued to eat it when she hated garlic, I had no idea. “I do hope you don’t regret that job,” she remarked lightly.</p><p>Mama gave her a wide grin. “Never in a million years. It was awful, but worth it in the end.”</p><p>I groaned through my bread. “Do I have to hear this every week now?”</p><p>“Oh, calm down. We won’t get into our love story tonight,” Mama waved her fork around and jabbed a singular noodle. “That’s for tomorrow.”</p><p>“Speaking of,” Mom started, setting her fork to the side, “Dillon, are you available tomorrow to come uptown with me? Mrs. Darcy needs some special candles that are only sold in a store around there.”</p><p>“What do you need me for?”</p><p>“She needs ‘lavender but not too lavender with a hint of rose but a lot of it, if at all possible’. I couldn’t even begin to find lavender, much less all that.”</p><p>“Your mom’s saying you have the nose of a bloodhound.”</p><p>“Like the one in the woods?” I said jokingly, expecting laughing agreements  in return but the look that crossed my Mom’s face told a different story. “What?”</p><p>“You saw a…bloodhound in the woods? Our woods?” Her voice was chillingly steady and teeming with nerves. I quickly switched around the story to try and calm her.</p><p>I simply shrugged and pointed in a general direction. “It was just a dog. Probably a neighbor’s that got loose.”</p><p>Mom slowly nodded. “Right, right, of course. Well!” She sat up straight and her face perked back up into its normal overly-motherly look. “About taking a small drive with me tomorrow. Maybe you’ll see one of your highschool friends! I heard from their parents that some are visiting for the weekend.”</p><p>I slightly curled in on myself. “Sorry, Mom, I have work first thing in the morning.”</p><p>She pressed her lips into a thin line, concern replacing the joy in her eyes and my chest took a stabbing. “Have you seen any of your old classmates since you graduated? You’ve been working so much lately.”</p><p>I stared down at my food. I had no idea how to break it to her that no, I haven’t seen a single classmate or even an old school friend since May. Not out of intent, I was simply too busy with work whenever they visited and the rest of the time they were too far gone. All miles away at college.</p><p>“I think I’m done.” I stood up abruptly. There was plenty of food still on my plate but I knew it would end up as leftovers in the fridge. I kissed my mom’s sympathetic cheek and my mama’s neutral head.</p><p>Closing my bedroom door, I collapsed on my bed, the tiredness and effort from work finally settling in. My game console called to me from the floor but I couldn’t make myself move. I couldn’t even tell if I wanted to play games or just lay there and stare at the ceiling.</p><p>I could hear my moms talking in the living room and wondered how much of it was about me. Their overworked, out of school, and already an adult son. Not like I could move out if I wanted to, my mama had made it clear I was staying home until my class graduated college.</p><p>I tried not to think of the condition as a hint.</p><p>My moms didn’t voice it, but I had a feeling they already knew what I was thinking. Not going back to school, rising up the ranks at the car wash, make that my career. For other parents, that was unspeakable; it was throwing my life and potential future away all for a job meant for students to pay their way through school then quit.</p><p>I thanked God every day that my moms weren’t like most parents.</p><p>At some point, my eyes drooped close and when I woke up, my spine and all my bones were sticking needles in me as punishment for sleeping sideways on my bed. I moved one arm and every joint popped multiple times.</p><p>I rolled over and blinked through the darkness at my phone. 2:49am. How long had I been lamenting? Sighing, I shoved myself up and started grabbing my shoes and keys. No reason staying in my room contemplating my life choices in the dark when I could do that while at least getting some fresh air.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. We Still Can't Sleep or Run From Danger Correctly</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This story has been reformatted to the general style of AO3. Hope you enjoy &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>True to Southern weather, despite it being November, it was still around 70 degrees outside in my rural town. I kept my clouded over window down as I drove through Haven to let in the cheek warming breeze as replacement for the air conditioning. No reason to risk my radiator blowing up when I could enjoy the fresh, chalky smoke air that bathed downtown Haven.</p><p>The town was divided by distinct but complete invisible and arbitrary lines. Uptown was where the main shops, churches/temples, and studios were located, plus the weekly Farmers’ Market. Aka my mom’s favorite place for ‘family time’; so many of my childhood memories were filled with picking out delicate eggs right after window shopping for my grandparents.</p><p>Downtown was packed with fast food places lining the main road right across from the college’s ball fields. Great planning on the city’s part. Several, multicolored buildings that spilled out kitchen smoke through pipes on their roofs. During the day it smelled great, the entire road was crawling with the aroma of cookout food, burgers, fries, everything that could be greased and fried.</p><p>But during the night, that smell dulled down to the pallid hot air that now penetrated my entire car. I wrinkled my nose and rolled down the passenger window, hoping it would go in one way and out the other. The result was a merry go round of smells varying in gag reflexes.</p><p>Sudden light blinded my rearview mirror and I quickly turned it abruptly up, nearly snapping it right off. The wheel swiveled and the car started to veer. I grabbed it and slowly moved it back to the lane, adjusting the mirror and looking over my shoulder to make sure no one was actually behind me but the road was empty.</p><p>In the dark of my car, passing streetlights briefly and sporadically lit up my profile in the mirror. Tired dark circles adorned my brown skin and my curly brown hair was a bird’s nest atop my head; a perfect match for my golden-brown eyes that my mama always called bird’s eggs. You know, the perfect compliment you want from your parents.</p><p>I glanced at my phone sitting in the console. Sunrise in less than an hour. My mama would be getting up soon and she always checked my room first thing. If she saw me gone at this hour, she’d wake Mom and they’d both be worried sick.</p><p>There was nowhere to turn around legally and no way was I risking the boredom of rural town police in the middle of the night. I kept going until I saw the short drive into the main road rest stop parking lot, one surrounded by a thick grove of woods. As if a rest stop was necessary here.</p><p>I pulled in and started to turn away when my headlights swept over something in the lot. A small, scratched up red pickup. I’d recognize that truck anywhere. All of us at the car wash knew each other’s vehicles and could point them out miles away. Kory’s truck was definitely sitting in the parking lot of the dense woods at 3am.</p><p>It was parked haphazardly, as if in a rush and not caring about the spot lines. I narrowed my eyes and parked right next to it. After carefully and quietly closing my door, I went up to pull on the cab door handle. Locked. Which meant he wasn’t anywhere nearby. I pulled out my phone and switched on the light, pointing it at the surrounding trees.</p><p>“Kory?” I meant to call it out, but my voice would only come out as barely a whisper. I got no answer. I unlocked my phone fully and scrolled through my contacts until I found his. It rang and rang and I hoped it would wake him up at home. I’d rather his truck have gotten stolen than the alternative. But again, no answer.<br/>
I gulped and weighed my options: get back into my car, go home, and hope Kory showed up at work the next morning. Or I could call the police which I immediately shot down.</p><p>Or option three. I turned the light towards the woods and stepped closer. The tops of my shoes just barely touched discarded leaves littering the dirt floor. I took one more step and a stick cracked under my foot.</p><p>A whiff of wind flew through the air and I felt like that was the universe telling me to go the feck home. But I was nothing if not stubborn and took another step over the invisible line into the woods.</p><p>And another.</p><p>And another.</p><p>And another.</p><p>Until all I saw around me was trees and more trees. Low hanging branches stretched out to embrace each other and block every possible path I could take. I ducked and used my forearms as braces to push them aside, all the while calling out Kory’s name.</p><p>“Kory? Kory, you in here?” I scanned my light every which way, keeping my eyes sharp for any sign of another human and hopefully nothing else. “I swear if you’re not in here and just left your truck in the lot for no reason, I’m pushing you into the tunnel tomorrow.”</p><p>The wind picked up for a brief moment and for a split second I considered the possibility of Kory getting kidnapped by wind spirits. Or got turned into the wind by a witch. Any other scenario than the one my brain first went to.</p><p>I shivered and kept trudging on. I was going to scare myself at this rate; there was just something about being by yourself in the woods at barely twilight that was freaking me out. I could only hope Kory wasn’t as freaked out as I was.</p><p>Speaking of. “Kory?” I called out again, louder this time. With daylight just on the horizon, I was feeling a bit braver. “Kory! Kory, where are you?!”</p><p>Bravery that was quickly squished and squashed into the hard forest floor. Branches broke behind me and all my nerves kicked into high gear. I whirled around and the light from my phone phased across the trees.</p><p>There was silence for a beat then another heart stopping crack. I jumped and my back hit the bark of a tree, scratching skin through my shirt. My hands flew to my sides and I grappled at the rough bark twisting up my shirt. I aimlessly tugged it off while not taking my eyes off the woods in front of me.</p><p>The three F’s of being scared: fight, flight, or freeze. Sometimes I wished my instincts went with flight, or even fight. Even if I got my ass kicked in the process, at least it was less anxious than freezing in the face of a dark figure moving towards me amongst the criss-crossed tree limbs.</p><p>Closer and closer. My heart raced and I could hear it pounding against my rib cage clear in my ears. I backed up against a tree and grabbed at the rugged bark for no particular reason other than my fingers were starting to lose blood and feeling.</p><p>Just as I started mentally drafting my will, a blue figure broke through the web of branches and into the tiny area. Kory doubled over, out of breath, and gripped the knees of his torn jeans. His head snapped up and his light brown, nearly white, eyes grew wide. His brown long braid was tangled and coming loose over his shoulder with leaves sticking out every which way.</p><p>We stared at each other, unwavering, for what felt like lung-depleting hours. Somewhere behind him, I could hear leaves rustling and my instincts finally switched, something in me telling me to fecking run but my feet didn’t move.</p><p>Kory finally blinked and the spell broke. “You need to get out of here.”</p><p>“What-”</p><p>“Go!” He was at my side in no time and turned me in the direction of the parking lot. “You can’t be here, it’s unsafe.”</p><p>“But safe for <i>you</i>? What’s even going on?”</p><p>Kory glared but didn’t dignify my valid questions with an answer. With a closer look through the dim light, I could see he was wearing a pull over flannel that had definitely seen better days. Small rips and seams starting to loosen in multiple places showing off pale skin. His jeans were just as bad but had enough random patches that they might as well be completely different jeans.</p><p>“Dillon, please. Just trust me.”</p><p>“Why do you look like you’ve been fighting bears out here?” I asked incredulously.</p><p>Kory stopped and I could’ve swore I saw the tip of his lips twitch into a brief smile. Leaves rustled again and he glanced behind him. Any trace of that smile was quickly wiped away as he looked back at me, only mildly freaked out.</p><p>“I might as well have been. Which is why you need to hurry and get out of here while you still can.”</p><p>“What’s out here?”</p><p>“Haven’t your parents ever taught you not to mess with the wildlife?”</p><p>“No, but my uncle taught me how to hunt them. Is that helpful?”</p><p>Another almost-smile. “No, not really.” He started to shove me towards the parking lot, or at least the general direction I assumed it was in. “Now go!” But before we could get far, multiple branches broke and a terrifyingly low growl resonated around us. Kory froze and quickly whipped around, still gripping my shoulder.</p><p>A black-set wolf stepped in on our small party and I swear the moon stopped hanging as its dark eyes zeroed in on me, drowning me in a fear inducing hypnosis. Its ears perked straight up and it took one more step towards us with a big matted paw that could easily smother my entire face.</p><p>I gulped and wished I could remember anything about dealing with wild animals from Environmental Science.</p><p>The wolf stared us down, snarling and dark eyes beading in the still moving moonlight. He didn’t come closer but I could tell he wasn’t about to do an about face and let us be.</p><p>“Don’t. Move.” Kory whispered. I peeked at him out of the corner of my eye, too scared to move my head. He was much more calm about this than I was. For one thing, he seemed calm at all to begin with. He was completely tranquil, his voice even if not angry, and poised to make a move but still as a statue. “I’m going to run to my right. Once he starts chasing me, you get back to your car.”</p><p>“What?” I hissed out of the corner of my mouth, eyes trained on the animal seething in front of us. It took another step and I sucked in a breath. </p><p>“Just trust me, Dillon. I’m in charge of you, remember?”</p><p>“We’re not at the car wash, Kory!”</p><p>The wolf growled and Kory winced. “Shh! Just do it, damn it.”</p><p>Before I could argue more, he took off directly to his right, running into the thick of the woods. The wolf bounded after him without hesitation, completely disregarding the other meatsack standing dumbly in the vicinity. Its feet crunched leaves and broke sticks sharply and my heart tightened with every little sound until it and Kory was gone.</p><p>My brain buffered for a moment as it tried to catch up. Complete silence overwhelmed my chest until it was broken by a howl in the night, rising above the tops of the trees. I shook my head, turned on my heel, and sprinted back the way I came.</p><p>With the running start, I jumped into the bed of Kory’s truck and threw open the tool box. I rummaged through it frantically until my fingers touched metal. I pulled out a revolver and without stopping to wonder why he had it, I leapt out and took off back into the woods.</p><p>My legs were burning and I’m pretty sure it was the anxiety and not the running causing it. The sky started to brighten up along with the manmade path in front of me. I ducked under branches that nearly took off my head and leapt over ditches that wanted to drag me down to the dirt.</p><p>It didn’t take me long to find them again. The area was now lit up more in the not-quite-sunrise and I could see all the trampled branches and leaves forming a small trail that you wouldn’t be able to see unless you were looking for it.</p><p>Kory was backed against a tree with the wolf just feet from him. But he still didn’t appear afraid, if anything he just looked annoyed. As if being cornered by a wolf in the woods was merely a minor inconvenience.</p><p>The wolf, meanwhile, looked like it wanted blood as it stalked towards him and widened its jaw. With a final growl, everything moved at once. It pounced at Kory and I raised the gun and pointed with the best accuracy I could muster in the panic.</p><p>“Wait! Dillon, don’t!”</p><p>I pulled the trigger and expected a shot to ring out, but instead a whistling sound whipped through the air. The wolf staggered in its mid-pounce and whined before collapsing to the ground in a heap. Kory sighed and ran over, dropping to his knees beside the furry assailant.</p><p>I slowly lowered the revolver. “Is it…?”</p><p>Kory shook his head. “There’s no bullets in that thing, only tranquilizer darts.” To demonstrate at that moment, he pulled out a short dart from the wolf’s shoulder and held it up to show me.</p><p>I didn’t even want to bother questioning how he put darts in a revolver gun.</p><p>Before I could react at all, Kory kneeled and swept his arms underneath the top half of the wolf, lifting the animal up over the back of his shoulder blades. “Well? You going to help me or not?”</p><p>I blinked. “What?”</p><p>He nodded down at the wolf and looked at me expectantly. I was pretty sure this was illegal in some capacity, but I was the one who paralyzed the animal. I pocketed the revolver, making sure the safety was on, and walked over. I mimicked Kory’s movements and heaved the lower half of a 150 pound hunk of fur onto my back.</p><p>Together in silence, we carried the wolf back through the woods. We maneuvered between trees and over fallen trunks, side stepping as to not get our clothes or the fur caught on branches. The coming morning air was fresh and I took in a deep breath, the sleepless night finally catching up to me and the two mixed well into a sinking yet lifting feeling.</p><p>Reaching the cars, we hauled the wolf into the bed of Kory’s truck with all the teamwork pounded into us since we started working together. Once it was pushed back so it was completely in, Kory climbed onto the tailgate and opened his toolbox. He held a hand out to me and after a few moments, I realized he wanted the gun.</p><p>I handed it over and he tossed it in then pulled out a red and black checkered blanket. He fluffed it out and gently laid it over the wolf so only the head and neck were visible. It was almost comical, seeing this giant wolf that had almost ripped us to pieces sleeping peacefully under a fluffy blanket like a child.</p><p>Kory landed next to me and gave me a look I couldn’t place. “Why did you come back?”</p><p>“I thought it was going to kill you!”</p><p>“He was, but I had it handled,” he said sternly. His face softened and he yawned. “But thank you for the sentiment, really. I appreciate it.” Even through the weak, sleep deprived voice, I could tell he was being genuine and I inwardly let out a breath of relief.</p><p>He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. In the newly dawning light, I could see the dark circles under his eyes and I wondered just how long he had been out in the woods. “The sun’s almost up and you don’t seem like you’ll be leaving any time soon.”</p><p>I could only shake my head. What the feck was I supposed to say? There were so many things I wanted to ask but I had a feeling he wouldn’t give any kind of answer. I had never been more confused in my life and I had to take Pre-Calc in highschool.</p><p>Kory leaned his forehead against his tail light and closed his eyes. “I can’t explain everything, or really anything. I made a promise and it’s not my secret to share. I can’t tell you, but,” he turned his head to look at me, “I can show you. Or rather, have him show you.”</p><p>“Show me?” I asked after somehow finally finding my voice.</p><p>Kory gestured to the tranquilized wolf laying in his truck bed as the first pricks of the sun started to shine across the parking lot. A ray spread across pavement and bounced off one of his side mirrors, bathing the animal in daylight.</p><p>I watched in horror, awe, and astonishment as the wolf shifted. Fur disappeared from the scarred skin, muzzle shrinking to a manageable size, claw retracting in on themselves. In the fearsome wolf’s place was now a human guy laying peacefully asleep underneath the blanket.</p><p>I can say with the utmost honesty, I stood there gaping with no words or sounds coming out of me. My mind went blank and nothing in the world made sense anymore until Kory slammed the tailgate close. My mouth snapped shut and all I could register was that we had work in an hour and neither of us had had any sleep.</p><p>“You tell no one about this, understand?” He got into my personal space and glared daggers directly into me. Even at his short height, he still invoked the same terror of the wolf we had dragged. “You utter one thought about what you’ve seen and I’ll push you into that tunnel and hit start.”</p><p>I gulped and nodded. Somewhere in that terror was fear, I could tell. Obviously there was more to this than what he was holding back, but I knew that look. The look of someone scared to let a secret get out.</p><p>Hopefully satisfied, he closed the tailgate and got into the cab. “See you at work,” he said, way too calm for the situation. He looked down at my mud and twig covered clothes. “Might wanna take a walk through the tunnel if I were you.” With one last look at me through the window, he carefully pulled out of the parking lot, taking the wolf with him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you're enjoying the story so far! Comments and/or criticism are always appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Sleep Deprivation Helps Me Gets Friends Apparently</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After his eventful night, Dillon tries to get answers out of Kory but runs into numerous problems. All of them being Kory.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This story has been reformatted to fit Ao3's normal format style. With tedious editing. Save me.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By the time I got home to thankfully sleeping parents, the probable existence of werewolves was already eating at me. It was only made worse by the fact that I had to go to work and face him. I wanted answers, an explanation, an acknowledgement at the very least.</p><p>But when I rolled into the parking lot, I realized something I hadn’t noticed before: Kory was a master at ignoring the stampeding elephants in the room. After he unlocked the front door, he said hi to me all cheery as normal then set about his tasks. No sign of sleep deprivation unlike my staggering self across the concrete.</p><p>The only acknowledgement I got was a sympathetic “we can handle the first hour on our own if you can go make sure everything out front is clean.” Which I appreciated and accepted, but the complete lack of communication on anything else was jarring.</p><p>The day dragged on, spending hours cleaning the lot, fixing vacuums, listening to moms complaining that their child got hurt playing with the decoration rocks on the ground. By the time the front was spotless and I got to the tunnel, I was ready to go home and sleep for ten days.</p><p>After prepping only one car, I leaned on the brush handle and closed my eyes, eyelids drooping deadweight at the slightest hint of give-in. The washing sounds of the machines five feet from me became white noise as I drifted off.</p><p>“Dillon!” Intense rapping on glass jolted me awake and I quickly grabbed the falling brush. I blinked through my sleepy haze to see our manager, Cole, standing on the other side of the glass walls right behind me. He raised an eyebrow at me and pointed off to the side.</p><p>I turned to a car and my coworker, Manuel, staring at me both irritated and concerned. “Sorry!” I yelled over the noise and quickly prepped the car of a customer who was already busy on their phone, not paying attention to the fact that they still weren’t moving.</p><p>As the car was pulled along, Cole came out and stood beside me. He crossed his arms and we didn’t look at each other as he sighed. “You’ve been out of it all morning, what’s up?”</p><p>I shrugged. “Just didn’t get enough sleep is all.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Kory watching us from down at the lanes. As if sensing my gaze on him, he quickly turned back to an approaching car.</p><p>“I figured you slept as soon as you got home. You weren’t online at all last night.” The benefit to having a boss so close to your age, as well as being your friend before he even became your boss, was getting to play first person shooter games late at night with the same person who signed off on your payroll.</p><p>Cole playfully nudged my shoulder and laughed. “Andrew would’ve kicked your ass anyway, I swear he uses an aimbot. I’m thinking of cutting his hours until he comes clean.”</p><p>I laughed too because I knew he never actually would. At least, I hoped not. “Do it. He sprayed me with water the other day and got me soaked on a freezing cold day. And I hold a grudge.”</p><p>“Noted.” He finally looked at me and patted me on the back. “Try and pay more attention, alright? What’s our number one priority?”</p><p>“Don’t piss off corporate?”</p><p>Cole grinned. “No, but that’s definitely up there.”</p><p>A dramatic sigh escaped me. “Number one priority is safety.”</p><p>“Exactly and we can’t ensure that if we’re phasing out around heavy machinery. You’ll get your limbs torn off and I don’t feel like dealing with that workers’ comp paperwork.”</p><p>He headed back inside and I shouted after him, “We don’t even get workers’ comp!”</p><p>Eventually, the lanes were empty and the tunnel was halted and clean. Nothing left to do, we did the hourly ritual of standing in a circle and talking about nothing. As Carson explained the finer arts of flying a VR plane, I kept trying to catch Kory’s eye.</p><p>Every look he gave me said loud and clear to continue not saying a fecking word about last night. A downward, menacing stare for a brief moment before going back to smiling and laughing with the others.</p><p>I’d seen him be all smiles, bright-eyed, and interested in customers’ conversations then dropping to completely depressed complete with paled expressions as soon as his back was turned, so I didn’t question the emotional quick-change much.</p><p>But I wasn’t about to give up so easily. The wolf shifting kept playing back in my mind; the fur retracting back into smooth dark skin, large droopy ears curling in on themselves until they were smaller and oval-shaped like a human’s. Long wolf hair being replaced by long, rough black hair on the guy’s head.</p><p>It- no, he Kory had said- was a mystery that was going to burden my near every thought until I got something from him. Even if it was another insistent angry plea to drop it. Because at least then I knew for sure it was real. That the anchors attached to my eyelids weren’t a product of a nightmare.</p><p>“Hey, Dillon!” Manuel waved a hand in front of my face and laughed when I startled out of my faze. “We’re going to the Valley tonight, you coming?”</p><p>“Yeah of course. Is-” I glanced towards the console only to see it on its lonesome. I looked around and saw that Kory had wandered back down to the lanes and was staring down the double concrete emptiness.</p><p>Manuel followed my gaze and shrugged. “I thought about asking her- shit I mean him- I was going to but he never says yes, you know? Even when I ask him if he wants food for lunch somewhere, he always says no. Figured there wasn’t a point.”</p><p>“I guess so.” I frowned but couldn’t dwell on it for long before a car appeared and took all of our attention.</p><p>We cleaned cars for the remainder of our shift and I somehow managed not to lose a finger when I closed my eyes for a few seconds while holding a vacuum to my hand. Then promptly escaped once the clock ticked 3pm. We flooded out the doors and I lingered just at the edge of the road, waiting for Kory to clock out. He left, the door gently swinging closed behind him, and didn’t even look surprised to see me standing there.</p><p>He started to walk past me and I went to his side. “Kory-”</p><p>“I told you I’m not saying anything,” he cut off. He looked both ways before crossing the road and I followed. “Just let it go already.”</p><p>“You can’t just show me something like that and expect me not to wonder what feck is going on.”</p><p>“I’m not, I’m expecting you to not keep bothering me for answers I can’t give you.” He sighed and swung his key ring on his thumb. “I never should have let you see,” he mumbled under his breath but I still caught it.</p><p>“I still would have wanted to know why you were getting chased by a wolf in the woods in the middle of the night. Especially in rural Haven where there aren’t wolves for miles! Also, ‘already’? This happened seven hours ago!”</p><p>“Keep your voice down,” he hissed at me, looking over to where the others were still talking by their cars. Manuel shoved Andrew and Carson pretended to fight him for it. The feeling from before came back watching them, but I tried to focus on the problem at hand.</p><p>Kory rubbed the bridge of his nose and stalked over to his truck, laying a hand on the door handle. “This is pointless, Dillon. Just please let it go?”</p><p>He looked at me with pleading eyes and my stomach churned. One part of me wanting to give in because of course I wasn’t to wrench my answers out of someone who looked so distressed about telling me.</p><p>But the other kept yelling that if I let it go, it was going to bother me for the rest of my life. I bit the inside of my mouth and offered a small smile. “Can’t you just thank me for saving your life?”</p><p>Kory raised an eyebrow and the corner of his mouth threatened to peak into a smile again. “Are you really quoting Twilight at me?”</p><p>“Hey, my mama loved that movie when I was a kid. I wasn’t a fan, but those scenes are ingrained into my mind.”</p><p>“Yeah sure, whatever you say.”</p><p>“You’re the one that recognized the line.” I stuck my hands in my jacket pockets and held them out in surrender. “Just saying.”</p><p>He snorted and I hoped it was in amusement. “I’ll see you later, Dillon. Not in the woods.” He got into his truck, cranked it with a wracking sound, and peeled out of the lot before I could even think of a response.</p><p>I just sighed and dragged my hands down my face. Exhaustion was settling in now that I was standing still, not surrounded by loud machines and the seering smell of watermelon scented chemicals. I shook out my curly hair and started home, defeated.</p><p>By the time I got back to my house, I was tempted to call Manuel and claim death as cause of not joining them at the bar. My head was pounding and my ears were ringing loud enough to hear Mom’s vegetables growing. Mixed lettuce and carrots all screaming for release from their soil prisons.</p><p>Geez, how many chemicals did I inhale?</p><p>I gently closed my car door shut and staggered across the yard, barely avoiding the barbed wire fencing. As I passed a growing pumpkin begging to be sold and not carved come October, I heard rustling.</p><p>I stopped and looked around, but saw nothing in the plots. I shrugged and kept walking only to hear it again. My head was still yelling at me and I closed my eyes to drag myself into the bouncy castle filled with bowling balls that was my head.</p><p>Rubbing my temples to try and soothe the headache, sticks broke nearby and my eyes flew open. I whirled around just in time to see something disappear into the woods. Something gray and furry.</p><p>Ignoring the protests from my entire body, I ran to the front door and threw open the screen door. I grappled for the doorknob and darted inside, leaning back against the door as it shut behind me.</p><p>Was that a wolf or just a normal dog? Maybe the neighbors really did get a new pet and it hadn’t learned the area yet. Maybe I just spooked it and it went back to their safety.</p><p>Maybe it was a werewolf that came for me because I knew. Or somewhat knew. In all my focus on trying to get information out of Kory, I hadn’t even considered what the actual wolf I saw would do if Kory told him a random guy had seen their secret shifting.</p><p>Would he kill me? Were there more? Would they find out and kill me? Or did they just want to scare me enough to not tell, as if Kory threatening to mangle me via car wash machinery wasn’t nerve wracking enough.</p><p>For the first time since I found Kory in those woods, I feared for the consequences of my actions. My actions of being concerned for my coworker for fecks sake. I should’ve just turned around and assumed he was alright or had just broken down on the way home from work that day.</p><p>At least then, the curiosity wouldn’t be killing me, I wouldn’t be getting glares from Kory every other minute, and I wouldn’t be getting watched from a distance by wolves. Not that I knew for sure that’s what was happening, but I had a feeling I was close. I thought back to the other day seeing the beautiful, auburn wolf watching from the woods and my heart fell.</p><p>All I knew for sure was that werewolves, or a creature like them, were real and they weren’t happy I found that out.</p><p>“Dillon?”</p><p>I jumped and nearly smacked the back of my head against the door. Mom stood at the kitchen counter, drying her hands on a towel and staring at me worried. I quickly plastered a smile that surely looked panicked on my face and calmed my heart rate.</p><p>“Heeeeey, Mom! Sorry I’m just out of it from work. Car fumes and all that.”</p><p>She gave me a sympathetic smile and held out an arm. “Bless your heart you work so hard there. Why they haven’t promoted you yet I have no idea.”</p><p>I playfully rolled my eyes and went over to give her a hug. “There are a lot more competent people at Sonny’s, Mom. Cole says I’ll get a promotion when they move on to other locations or somewhere.”</p><p>I wasn’t fully lying, our manager, Cole, had said that just in more broad terms. That more people would get promoted once the current leaders were promoted themselves to managers of other locations. Which judging from the fact that all the current leaders were undergraduates, was going to be a while.</p><p>It was disheartening, but it wasn’t like I planned on going anywhere else. I took a deep breath and gave my mom a squeeze with one arm then stepped away. The kitchen was filled with the aroma of vegetable broth, a large pot bubbling on the stove and vegetable scraps laying on a paper towel next to it.</p><p>I walked over to the stock sitting in mason jars and picked one up. Wild onions that grew along the edges of the woods that I wasn’t totally sure if they were safe to eat as is. “Hey, Mom?” I asked, not looking away from the liquid wild contained in the glass and tin.</p><p>“Yes, honey?”</p><p>“Are there wolves near here?”</p><p>There was a loud bang and I swiveled on my heel. A baking sheet clattered to the ground and my mom stood motionless staring down at it. “Mom?” I slowly held out a hand to touch her shoulder.</p><p>She shook her head and gave me a small strained smile. “Sorry, darlin’. Guess I’m just as out of it.” She stooped down to get the pan but I quickly reached down and got it myself, handing it to her. She patted my cheek gratefully and went to place it on the stove.</p><p>“Was it…what I said?”</p><p>“No no! It’s fine, it just surprised me is all.” Mom started picking up the vegetable scraps and, after grabbing the nearest unnecessarily big for the current task knife, chopped them into too small bits. “There aren’t any wolves anywhere, only coyotes. Which is why we don’t go into the woods around here.”</p><p>She brought the knife down harshly onto a carrot, letting out a sharp bang from the metal underneath. I carefully walked over and laid a hand on the wrist holding it. “Mom? Are you alright?”</p><p>Mom smiled gently and touched my face. “I’m alright, honey. Why don’t you go get your mama and get her to help me out here. Are you going to want more cane sugar in your bowl?”</p><p>“I’m good, Mom. I’m actually going out to eat at the Valley with some of my coworkers.”</p><p>“Oh that’s lovely, honey! Do be careful as always, don’t stay out too late. Of course you’re more than free to, but I’d prefer you home by midnight for your own safety.”</p><p>“I know, Mom. I’ll be home by then. If not I’ll just stay at one of theirs.”</p><p>“If you do-”</p><p>“Let you know as soon as possible, I know.” I leaned up to kiss her on the cheek then headed out of the kitchen and down towards the hallway past the living room.</p><p>Mama worked from home, her office once being a bedroom at the end of the halI; a corridor covered in photos from over the years, going in chronological order. Every time we added a new frame, everything got shifted down left.</p><p>I knocked on the office door and didn’t wait for an answer before opening it. Inside, my mama was hard at work at her computer. As a copywriter, I wasn’t completely sure what it was she did but she always seemed as annoyed as I was after work whenever she came out after a long day.</p><p>I leaned against the doorframe. “Mom’s taking out her emotions on vegetables again.”</p><p>Mama smiled but didn’t look away from the screen. And they wondered where I got that from ,only with video games. “Is she now? What happened?”</p><p>I shrugged. “I mentioned wolves and she almost went catatonic.”</p><p>“I don’t think you’re using that word right, dew drop.” She tapped on the keyboard for a few more seconds before pushing away and stretching her arms above her head. I heard bones popping and winced which made her laugh.</p><p>“Oh don’t you make that face, you do it all the time. Only your bones sound like they’re breaking in half when you pop them.”</p><p>“I blame whoever gave me bad joints instead of height or muscle.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t blame your ancestry on the muscle.”</p><p>I wrinkled my nose and Mama laughed again. “She also wants help with dinner. Probably before she ends up mincing the broth itself.”</p><p>“Will we be graced with your presence as well?”</p><p>“I’m going out with friends tonight.”</p><p>She raised her eyebrows and I couldn’t help the annoyance at her surprise. ”That’s great, dewdrop! Get out and live a little somewhere you won’t be contaminating your lungs.”</p><p>“Will Mom be alright?” I asked tentatively.</p><p>She waved me off. “Don’t worry about your old mothers, I know how to handle her little spells.” Her head ticked a bit with her phrasing, but quickly tapped something on her keyboard and started packing up her things into neat piles. “Go on then! Don’t want to keep your friends waiting, I’m just cleaning up so your mom doesn’t kill me.”</p><p>I smiled and went over to kiss her forehead before closing the door not all the way on my way out. To my room to sleep off my fear before drinking myself to soberness.</p><p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p><p>“No you don’t understand! This dog will come around every damn Wednesday on the dot. And it never has its owner but it’s got a collar.” Andrew leaned his head back and downed part of his drink.</p><p>“Have you read the collar?” Manuel asked, amused.</p><p>“‘Course I have! But all it got is a name, I’ve done forgot what it is. But Sanders hates other dogs in his yard and he’ll go crazy! And you know what’s funny?”</p><p>Carson dramatically dropped his head on the table, eyes wide. “No! No we don’t.”</p><p>Andrew scrunched up his face at her but grinned. “If you take his collar off, he’ll go running right after whatever dog it is. I just unclick it and say ‘go on, get!’ He’ll go flyin’ I tell ya! But if you go ‘Sanders! Here!’ he’ll stop whatever he’s doing and come right back.” He took another gulp that I was sure never even touched his tongue. “He could be attacking some other dog but he’ll just stop and come on back. But he don’t like other dogs in his yard.”</p><p>“You don’t say?” Carson asked.</p><p>Andrew reached over to grab a fry from her plate and she pretended to stab his hand with a plastic fork. Manuel and I laughed as they grappled over a singular oversalted fry in the middle of the bar. Eventually Carson relented; she wasn’t eating that much tonight anyway.</p><p>The Valley, full-named Sweet and Sour Valley, was filled with college students to celebrate another Friday. The end of another school week, but just another monotonous day for me. Heck, I didn’t even know it was Friday until Carson mentioned her parents only letting her out because of it not being a school night. Something that made my stomach twist but I wasn’t sure why.</p><p>A dimly lit restaurant by technicalities, it was certified the best bar in Haven when you didn’t want to deal with the constant loud noise of any of the others. Most of the bar’s stools were full and people kept moving from one table to the next. Outside on the small patio, I could see some sitting on the tables and using the chairs as footrests. The owner’s favorites for sure.</p><p>I was pulled out of my daily lamenting by a stab in the arm. Carson flipped her fork in her hands. “You okay there, Dillon?”</p><p>I grinned and tossed one of my fries in Andrew’s direction, who quickly caught it in his mouth by nearly colliding the table with his chin. “I’m chill, just thinking about something.”</p><p>“You actually think with that head of yours?”</p><p>“You’re hilarious,” I deadpanned. I hesitated, wondering and worrying about the conversation getting back to Kory but then I remembered him disappearing earlier and went on. “Have you guys ever seen...I don’t know, a wolf in Haven?”</p><p>Manuel looked at me strangely. “I’ve seen coyotes by the back roads at night, but that’s about it. We don’t live close enough to mountains for wolves or anything like that.”</p><p>“You don’t get more backroad than my house,” Carson added, “and I’ve never seen anything.”</p><p>“Me neither, not even in the deep woods coon hunting.” Andrew tossed another fry into his mouth and I looked down to see half of mine gone, despite not having eaten one yet. “Speaking of, how did the deer hunting go last week?”</p><p>Manuel let out a whoop and smacked the table. “Packed two right off the bat. Jordan and I didn’t stay out there long because of the rain but that’s good enough luck for a cold weekend.”</p><p>“You’ve got to take me with you next time,” Carson groaned. “I haven’t been hunting in forever since that last accident.”</p><p>I chuckled slightly. “It was two weeks ago, and I can’t blame your parents. You lost a lot of blood.”</p><p>She waved me off. “I was fine! Don’t remember a good bit of it, but I walked back to my brothers just fine afterwards. So am I joining y’all or not?”</p><p>“Sure,” Manuel laughed. “You’re coming too, right, Andrew?”</p><p>“Of course! Got a family reunion coming up and I promised I’d bring something enough for everyone.”</p><p>They knew I didn’t hunt which is the only reason why they didn’t ask me. I repeated that in my head as they continued talking about the next trip into the forest circling Haven to bag the animals they’d rather shoot themselves than buy readily dead and cut from town.</p><p>I picked at my food, at least what was left of it as somehow even more of it was gone. I zoned out of the conversation and the others left me to my food sculpture as I piled the fries into a log cabin.</p><p>These were my friends for certain. They asked me to hang out all the time, we talked constantly at work, we played video games all night long. So why did spending time with them sometimes bother me?</p><p>Manuel suddenly leaned across the table and squinted at something behind me. “Is that Kory?”</p><p>I swiveled in my seat and sure enough, through the window, I could see Kory leaving the butcher shop across the street. I’d see him in non-work clothes before, but it was still jarring each time. He was carrying a reusable bag that was clearly filled to the brim with white paper sticking out the top.</p><p>"Stop staring, it’s creepy.” Carson leaned back in her chair and took a swig of root beer. “He’s just getting food, nothing wierd.”</p><p>None of them remembered Kory mentioning before that he didn’t eat a lot of meat. But wolves sure did.</p><p>I pushed away from the table and stood up in one swift movement. “I think I’m gonna go help him, actually. That stuff looks heavy.”</p><p>“You sure?”</p><p>I shrugged nonchalantly. “Yeah, it’s the nice coworkerly thing to do, right?”</p><p>Andrew shrugged. “Suit yourself. I call your fries if you don’t come back though.”</p><p>I thoughtlessly nodded and headed out of the bar. Looking both ways before rushing across the street because I was raised to not face death head on. Although I sure felt like I was running up behind Kory and tapping his shoulder.</p><p>“It’s later.”</p><p>Kory spun around, gripping the straps of the bag to keep the contents from flying all over the street like roadkill. Seeing it was just me, he visibly relaxed. “What are you doing here?”</p><p>I gestured back towards the Valley. “Just hanging out with Manuel and a couple of the others and I saw you out here. Do you need a walking buddy?’</p><p>He sighed exasperatedly. “If you’re still trying, it’s not gonna work.”</p><p>“I’m not!” I objected, questions burning on my tongue. “It’s just my moms told me a lot of stories of, you know, feminine looking people walking by themselves at night. And believe it or not, I do care about my coworkers’ general well being on the occasion.”</p><p>Another almost smile. “It’s technically evening”</p><p>“Close enough. The sun’s saying goodbye and it’s getting dark, so please? Just to your truck then I’ll leave you alone...until Monday.”</p><p>He hesitated but shrugged one shoulder and turned around. “Fine.”</p><p>We walked down the sidewalk, down the hill that was the lead into downtown. The sun was setting fast but the air stayed warm to the breath and stars were already pricking the darkening sky. Closer to the ground, light posts dotted the road and mixed in with glares from headlights, brighter stars amongst the night sky that was the cracked concrete main road.</p><p>Silence burdened the atmosphere between us and although it wasn’t bothersome, it was killing me. “Sooo your family or roommates big meat eaters?” I asked.</p><p>Kory faltered in his step and gave me a confused glance. His honey brown eyes pierced me and I fought to not stumble myself. “What?”</p><p>“You got enough meat there to feed a small family”</p><p>There was another beat of drawn out silence. “I live by myself,” Kory said simply.</p><p>I sucked in a slight breath. “Right! Right, right….sorry.”</p><p>He shrugged, watching a car pass by us going at least 20 over the speed limit. “It’s fine.”</p><p>By his reaction, it definitely wasn’t. Not like he was the only one of us to live away from family, a good bit of the college students did, but at least they had roommates to keep out the inevitable loneliness of college life. Or so I was told.</p><p>“Sooo, the meat is for…” Kory sent me a warning look. “....your pet dog?”</p><p>He barked out a laugh and immediately tried to cut himself off, successfully sending himself into a coughing fit. We stopped and I patted him on the back as he doubled over. While he pounded on his chest, I caught sight of the inside of his bag.</p><p>Sure enough, it was filled with red meat poorly stereotypically wrapped in white paper. I averted my eyes and made the executive decision to shut my mouth about it. Any more questions and I had a feeling Kory would shut down on communication completely.</p><p>Rubbing his chest, Kory gazed at me weirdly before giving me an actual smirk. “What about you?”</p><p>“Me?”</p><p>“Who do you live with? Haven’s your hometown right?” He started walking again and I followed along, surprised he was continuing with the conversation at all.</p><p>I grinned, now fully relaxed. “Yeah it is! I actually live with my moms, only child.” I paused, weighing my next question. “You got any siblings?”</p><p>Kory nodded, starting to swing his bag of carcasses. “A younger brother and sister, twins. Supposedly fraternal, but I swear they could switch places and half their class wouldn’t notice.”</p><p>“They ever do that to you?”</p><p>“Nah, they wouldn't dare. They know I’d get them back tenfold.” He smiled to himself and my mind took over a new curiosity: this hidden side of Kory. Or maybe not hidden, just unnoticed. “What do your moms do?”</p><p>“My mama’s a copywriter and my mom works for an insurance company. She also sells vegetables we grow at the Farmer’s Market, but yeah they both work from home.”</p><p>“Really? How come? Copyrighting I understand, but they let your mom do that?”</p><p>I hesitated and simply shrugged what I hoped was nonchalantly. “They’re a really understanding company is all. What about your parents?”</p><p>Instead of answering, Kory gave me an amused smile. “You not going to ask what I do?”</p><p>I snorted. “I know what you’re stuck doing.”</p><p>“‘Stuck’? That how you see it?”</p><p>“I see it as you being stuck ordering us around.”</p><p>“I wouldn’t have to order y’all around if you did your jobs.”</p><p>“Hey, you slack off when there’s no cars just as much as the rest of us!”</p><p>We both laughed and I felt more level-headed and calm than I had in a long while. So<br/>much so that I hadn’t even noticed we had reached the public parking for downtown. Or what was presumed public parking by college students, aka the empty lot of the club only open on weekends.</p><p>We walked in comfortable silence the rest of the way to his truck. He tossed the bag into his passenger seat and nodded back the way we came. “You should head back to the others, otherwise they’ll think you got attacked by an animal. I hear there’s big dogs loose around here.”</p><p>I cocked an eyebrow but he just looked back sincerely. “Oh yeah, I’ve heard that. My mom says there’s coyotes out and about. So you better be careful.” I hoped he got the underlying meaning behind my words as if I wasn’t obvious enough.</p><p>Kory chuckled and lightly punched my shoulder. “I’ll see you at work, Dillon.” He got into his truck cab and started up the engine. I waited until he was out of the lot before walking back to the Valley, my chest a lot lighter.</p><p>Being around Kory made my whole self feel lighter, like the world was open and I was part of it. Not closed off from it all. And I was determined to be his friend whether he liked it or not.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you enjoyed this much longer than planned chapter! Let me know how you're liking it, criticism is always welcome! &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Making Friends is Wierd</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dillon comes across Kory again and this time he's determined to be friendly if it kills him, come hell or high water.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This story's formatting has been edited to fit typical AO3 standards.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“On your left!”</p><p>“Feck!”</p><p>“Damn it, Carson.”</p><p>“Blame the other aimbotting sniper, not me!”</p><p>I sighed and tossed my controller on the nearest pillow, careful not to hit the can of Coke right next to it. Through the headphones padding my head, I could hear the others berating each other for the lost game, but I felt pretty content to keep my mouth shut when it was actually my fault.</p><p>There was a bit of static and Manuel’s voice came in quiet and distant, as if he was on the other side of the world instead of the other side of town. “Y’all up for another round?”</p><p>We cheered and I could practically see Andrew raising his root beer stripped of its lettering in agreement. The screen switched to the waiting lobby and I settled back against the footboard of my bed, stretching my legs out. My moms never understood why I preferred sitting on the floor to play games instead of my bed, but I could only akin it to the same reason I turned left and right in real time with my character on the screen to peer around corners.</p><p>While we waited for another team to join, I bit the inside of my mouth but before I could bring up the mouse in the room, Andrew hollered. “Yo, Cole’s a real one! He’s letting me off tomorrow.”</p><p>“What?!” Carson’s voice shrilled full of betrayal. “I asked off weeks ago and he’s still having me work. Manuel, you want it?”</p><p>“I’m already working it. I can’t split myself in two and work both shifts.”</p><p>“Dillon? Please?”</p><p>I chuckled and only felt a bit of remorse. “Sorry, I’m going to the market with my mom.”</p><p>“Awww whittle Dillon is spending time with his moooom,” Andrew cooed and I rolled my eyes.</p><p>“And how’s that head injury from the last time you hung out with your parent?”</p><p>“Hey! Not my fault my ren can’t tell the difference between my hunting rifle and a tree limb.”</p><p>“They completely elbowed it into your face,” Manuel interjected. “I still have no idea how you didn’t get a dent in your head like mine.”</p><p>“Ren isn’t that strong.” Andrew laughed and the screen lit up as another team finally joined. “Okay guys, actually follow the plan this time!”</p><p>As we played the match, screaming into each other’s ears and launching myself side to side to the floor to dodge on screen attacks, something pricked at my brain but I successfully ignored it.</p><p>Since I didn’t work the next day it meant I gladly took the excuse to go to the farmer’s market this time with my mom. 7am on the dot, my alarm shook my brain and pierced my eyelids awake. Throwing my arm across my bedside table like a slinky and blindly pressed random places on my phone screen for the off button.</p><p>I shoved myself out of bed and dragged my feet across carpet, sparking my doorknob as I opened the door. Sun poured in through the windows and I went ahead and nudged one open, letting in the smell of fresh dew. I took a deep breath and almost fell back asleep on my feet from the soft sensation.</p><p>“Dillon! Are you up, honey?”</p><p>I shook my head and patted my cheeks to wake myself up. Shuffling into the living room, I found my mom at the counter with a small arrangement of lettuce, bulbs of garlic tied at the roots, and bunches of kale laying on paper towels.</p><p>I kissed her on the cheek and looked down at the assortment. “This all you’re selling?”</p><p>“Not a lot this week, unfortunately.” Mom sighed. She wiped her hands on a towel sadly. “Most of the veggies ready to be picked and sold got eaten over the past couple nights.”</p><p>“Coyotes?”</p><p>“No, probably just squirrels or some other animal in the woods. The fencing was messed up so we just need to fix it and it should be all fine for the next harvest.” Mom simply smiled and ruffled my hair. “Don’t fret, Dillon. It is what it is.”</p><p>But it wasn’t the vegetables I was worried about. Was it really just small mammals or were the wolves I’d seen messing with my family? I couldn’t tell if I should be worried or angry. I mulled over it as I changed into jeans and tugged an overshirt on, but ultimately couldn’t decide on what to feel or do.</p><p>Nevertheless, we got into her car and headed downtown. A section was closed off for the market so we parked in a designated (read: temporarily vacant and the owners did nothing about it) parking place outside a rundown motel.</p><p>Vendors were placed in rows along the street that poured into a small backlot for an off road restaurant. Food and dairy from farms, drink trucks, locally made crafts, and meat kept in coolers adorned the stalls and it all collected into a strange but familiar aroma that I deeply inhaled as I followed my mom to her own.</p><p>I helped carry the vegetables in a large woven basket while she carried the garlic in a plastic bucket that used to hold Nesquik chocolate milk mix. I could hear them hit the faux metal lining on the inside as we walked up the street and past the tape roping the area off.</p><p>Her stall, set up nicely by the neighboring vendor every Friday morning at 6am, was down the line of other food sellers. The nice neighbor was a kind young man around 30 who sold tea leaves and herbs he grew on his windowsill. I asked him once why he didn’t grow more in his yard and he said he didn’t have one. I questioned once where he lived as there weren’t many apartments in Haven, but he simply smiled and went on straightening up his display.</p><p>Mom’s own display looked meagerly next to his, as well as the bountiful cabbage and carrot growth on the other side. She sighed, gazing down at it and I patted her shoulder.</p><p>“Maybe people will think you already sold a lot and will want to hurry and buy themselves.”</p><p>Mom smiled and ruffled my hair, probably messing up the curls even more after not having brushed them at all that morning. “Maybe. Are you going to hang around here and help your dear old mother?”</p><p>“Sure, I can-”</p><p>I glanced around and a piece of light blue caught my eye. A rope shoulder bag, showing all his purchases on display. Including a jar full of what looked like purple flowers. “Actually, I’m gonna go see a friend. I’ll see you later, Mom.” With that, I walked over while pushing my way lightly through the crowd.</p><p>The bag's owner stood in front of a stall lined with mason jars of flowers and bouquets. All promoted as freshly picked and binded together with love and old Hobby Lobby twine. The vendor’s back was turned as they cut off some flower stems into a wooden bowl.</p><p>“Kory?”</p><p>His head snapped up, eyebrows furrowed. He pressed his lips in a thin line before smiling at the florist and setting the flower jar in his shoulder bag. “I forgot you mentioned your mom being a vendor here.”</p><p>“Usually she is but not much today. Crops got eaten or trampled or something by some animal.” I shrugged, trying not to allude to my nonsensical suspicion of the wolves. “It is what it is. Whatcha got there?”</p><p>Kory held up the jar and I blinked through the rising sunlight bouncing off the clear jar and directly into my eye. “Lavender. The scent is meant to be soothing and calm you down.”</p><p>“What do you need to calm down for?”</p><p>He gave me a Look and pointed at the hat on my head. I took it off and realized I was wearing my work hat. I nodded, putting it back on. “Right, got it. I don’t blame you, it’s a pretty easy job but Cole does make it, uhh…”</p><p>“Stressful as a tornado in the farmland backwoods?”</p><p>I grinned. “Exactly.” I looked around us. People were bustling about in the warm September air and I felt a heated chill run down my spine. I tightened my overshirt over my shoulders and turned to Kory. “Doooo you want to walk around? Unless you were planning on leaving.”</p><p>Kory glanced down at his bag and I followed his gaze. Along with the jar was a baguette wrapped in plastic, a few candles, a ceramic bowl, and…a dog clawing board?</p><p>You’ve got to be kidding me. My shoulders tensed up and I suddenly regretted asking for his company.</p><p>But then Kory smiled and all that regret washed away, replaced by a wave of peace. “Yeah, sure. Why not? Are you looking for something specific or just wandering?”</p><p>He started walking away from the vendor and merged easily in with the throng of patrons thanks to his short stature. I followed and had to elbow my way to avoid getting elbowed myself. “Just wandering, though I did want to look at those wood carvings a couple rows over. I saw a game controllers holder last week and the lady said she’d hold onto it for me.”</p><p>“That was nice of her.”</p><p>“It really was. All her carvings are pretty cool, and she’s like 60 so I’m surprised she thought to make a controller holder of all things.”</p><p>We headed through the thin crowd with ease, side stepping around people’s strides and dodging elbows and sudden stops. The market was set up in rows but still somehow resembled a maze as we tried to navigate our way to find the carving lady.</p><p>The sun started to beat down past the clouds trying to obscure it from sight, creating a hot chill with the wind coming through every so often. I bumped into Kory avoiding smacking right into a child, my hand briefly touching his and I subtly recoiled at how cold his hand was in the weather.</p><p>We finally found her in the back right; a lady with stark gray hair in wisps framing her pointed face. Green eyes found mine and a wide smile appeared on her face. “Oh well now, look who came back! Looking for your controller holder, honey?”</p><p>“Yes ma’am.”</p><p>She turned and rummaged in a cardboard box underneath the counter. As she did, I glanced at Kory and saw him eyeing a small shelf with what looked like Latin or some other language carved into it.</p><p>Before I could ask about it, the lady turned back around holding a thin ramp with dents big enough to hold console controllers in a neat row. She held it out to me and I carefully took it, admiring it. “Thank you! This looks amazing, um-”</p><p>“You can call me Ms. Mulligan, young man.” Her voice was bright and joyful, not unlike a rabbit first thing in the morning after a couple muffins. “And you, young lady, is there something you’re interested in?”</p><p>I glanced at Kory, but he simply winced at the name and carried on, still smiling. “No, I’m just looking with my friend. He told me you make really good carvings.”</p><p>Ms. Mulligan beamed and my cheeks warmed up. “Aww why thank you! Just for that, how about a discount for the holder?”</p><p>“Oh no! I insist on paying the full price.” Before she could object, I pulled my wallet out of my back pocket and handed the correct amount according to the price tag along with a few more dollars. She was just too sweet not to.</p><p>Ms. Mulligan pressed her lips together and gave me a grateful look. “Thank you, young man. I highly appreciate it, you have no idea. Anytime you need anything of my expertise, please don’t hesitate to come by my shop on the East side.”</p><p>“I’ll keep it in mind, thank you ma’am!” I tugged on Kory’s arm and we started walking away, along the edge of the rows out of people’s ways. We ducked underneath some trees lining the little lot and took brief refuge underneath the brisk shade.</p><p>Kory leaned back against a tree, scanning the rows of vendors and the multicolored scene before us. “She was nice,” he said simply.</p><p>I nodded silently, not feeling the need to speak. We stood there without a word for a few beats, but once again it didn’t feel odd. It was almost as if we were just enjoying each other’s presence.</p><p>The thought did something to my insides and I swallowed, staring at the ground. Kory looked over at me and furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you okay?”</p><p>I snapped my fingers. “Guessing game!”</p><p>“Guessing game?” he repeated.</p><p>“We take shots in the dark and guess things about each other. Then we just confirm or deny them, maybe explain more if we’re up for it.” I rubbed the back of my neck and shrugged. “I don’t know, just a way to get to know each other better. You don’t really talk about yourself to us that much.”</p><p>He didn’t answer right away and I feared I fecked up again. But gradually, he smirked and chuckled. “Yeah sure, why not?” he echoed a bit apprehensively.</p><p>I rubbed my hands together like the athlete I wasn’t and shook out my shoulders like I was about to go into the final quarter of the major tournament. I turned to walk backwards along the edge towards the road and looked at him seriously. “You’re left-handed.”</p><p>“You’ve literally seen me use my right hand all day at work.”</p><p>I playfully shrugged. “Fine, ambidextrous.”</p><p>“Correct. You like pepperoni and nothing else on pizza.”</p><p>“Erg, wrong! I like vegetables on pizza, it’s what I grew up on. You prefer tea over coffee.”</p><p>“But what kind of tea?”</p><p>“Black.” I sidestepped to avoid walking right into a cabbage cart, mouthing an apology to the vendor. “With way too much sugar.”</p><p>He gave me a look and pushed on my shoulder to turn me back around to face forward. “Okay that’s a bit too accurate.”</p><p>“I’ve drank from your tumblr at work before thinking it was water.”</p><p>Surprisingly, he laughed and just shook his head. “That’s what you get for stealing. Also, gross. You have a pet hamster.”</p><p>“No, but I’d love one! My mama’s allergic to most animals though. Only reason we don’t keep chickens, goats, all them. I’m guessing you have pets.”</p><p>“A cat and dog back home. Dog’s my mom’s, cat’s my dad’s.”</p><p>“Calico cat and golden retriever.”</p><p>“I’m neither confirming nor denying as it’s my turn to guess.” He did one of his almost smiles and warmth filled my chest. I put that smile on his face. I actually made someone smile for once. “You don’t like waiting in lines.”</p><p>“Who does?”</p><p>“People who aren’t impatient.”</p><p>“You like climbing trees.”</p><p>Kory’s grin faltered slightly and he quickly became very interested in a nearby stall of ceramic sculptures of lighthouses, but I still noticed it. Before I could ask if he was alright, he laughed nervously and shrugged. “Tree climbing isn’t really for me. Your thing, however, is running across streets to ask complete strangers if you can pet their dogs.”</p><p>His eyes begged me to let it go once again and the curiosity in me fought with my sympathy. My morals won and I nudged him with my shoulder. “Hey, you can’t blame me! Most dogs in this city are adorable and I will not be shamed for wanting to pet every single one.”</p><p>He rolled his eyes, but his genuine smirk returned, grinning from ear to ear. We went back and forth a couple more times before falling into a comfortable silence as we walked amongst the stands and showings.</p><p>He had the audacity to buy me a freshly squeezed lemonade and I got my revenge in the form of ice cream.</p><p>It was during this that I wondered why I had never tried to be friends with Kory before all this happened. I felt more at ease around him after only a couple days then I did with my work friends after months.</p><p>Was it only because I wanted to know and understand what was going on with him? I thought about it for a minute. If I knew for sure he would never tell me the truth, would I still be here? Would I still go out of my way to hang out with him?</p><p>It only took me a few seconds to know that yes, yes I would be.</p><p>Kory walked me back to my car where my mom was waiting patiently, disappearing before she could see him. I didn’t dwell on it much, choosing instead to just wave bye to him before he merged with the crowd still ambling in the lot.</p><p>The next afternoon, I said hi to Kory as soon as I walked through the door. I spent downtime with my friends but on the occasion would track him down cleaning anything and everything and helped. He seemed like he appreciated it and despite the fact that we cleaned in total silence, it wasn’t nerve wracking like normal. Silence never felt bad or wrong with him.</p><p>How long had we been friends again? Two, three days? Were we even friends?</p><p>I muttered a sarcastic comment about Cole being a favoritism nosy nelly under my breath and he ducked his head against the glass wall to laugh. That was when I decided that yeah, we were friends. And friends kept their mouths shut about secrets, no matter how curious and suspicious they were.</p><p>Our shifts ended and I walked by myself down across the road, humming to myself as I listened to my friends chatter behind me.</p><p>“Hey Dillon?”</p><p>I whirled around to face Kory with his arms crossed next to his truck, an odd smile on his face. In the two seconds my back was turned, he had taken off his work hat and less loose his braid, swinging it down over his shoulder. “Yeah?”</p><p>He looked behind me, waiting until the others were a good distance away. “You wanna know what the other night was about?”</p><p>…Was he serious? “Uh, I want to say no but I really do, yes.”</p><p>“Be ready at 7, I’ll pick you up then.” And with that bomb drop, he unlocked his truck and left the parking lot and me, dumb founded and more terrified than I have ever been in my life.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>End of chapter 4 that took me forever! I hope ya liked it, I will accept any and all criticism &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. I Have a Staredown with a Wolf for the Second Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kory finally lets Dillon in on the Secret and takes him on one of his excurtions. It goes...better than he expected? Worse?</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>By the time I got home, every nerve in my body was on high alert. Resulting in every turn of the wheel being jolted and forced. Even on my short walk up to the front door, every slight noise was a sitting, hungry wolf. Waiting for me to turn up unsuspecting and pounce.</p>
<p>Was Kory serious? Was he really going to explain everything? Or was this a trick to get rid of me or frighten me even more into silence? He had seemed sincere enough, but then again he always did. I didn’t know him well enough to know his tells.</p>
<p>He didn’t know me well enough, either. So why was he doing this? If this was as big a secret as I suspected, then he might as well be throwing a butter brick onto a tightrope. The odds of it going well were slim to none, the most likely ending being someone getting hurt.</p>
<p>And I had a feeling that someone would be me.</p>
<p>Seven o’clock rolled around and I was already waiting at the end of my driveway. I had been there since six, unable to do anything else except pace my room and create a ridge in my carpet floor.</p>
<p>I heard Kory’s truck before I saw it. A sawing sound that no one at work could pinpoint the source of came over the small hill and stopped just in front of me. I, thankfully, lived far enough in the woods that he wouldn’t hold up any kind of traffic. Days could go by without my road seeing any tire action.</p>
<p>Taking a deep breath, I opened the passenger door and hopped in. I slammed the door shut to ensure it was actually closed before turning to Kory. Running shoes pressed down on the brake with the hem of blue jeans hiding the laces. Despite it being approximately 120 degrees outside, a flannel covered his arms and I rubbed my own bare biceps. </p>
<p>He smiled at me and my nerves settled while my heart beat turned up a notch. “Ready?” he asked and I could hear the shakiness in his voice. He was nervous just like me, probably not as much but it was still comforting in an odd way.</p>
<p>He drove away from my street and headed away from Uptown. I watched the trees steadily go by with Kory’s law-abiding speed. I couldn’t help but wonder if that was because he cared about obeying the speed limit or because his glove compartment was filled with citations.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, I leaned my head against the half rolled down window. “Where are we going?”</p>
<p>“Take a guess.” Kory didn’t look away from the paved road as it gradually turned into gravel, taking a left turn.</p>
<p>“The woods at the rest stop again?”</p>
<p>His hint smile again. “Nope. Do you know what today is?”</p>
<p>“Sunday?”</p>
<p>“Yes, but no.” He took another turn and I noticed we were back onto the backroads. The truck bounced slightly over the rocks and the passing greenery through my window grew. He snuck a look at me and his smile grew. “It’s the last day of the full moon.”</p>
<p>“Don’t full moons only last one night? In movies, werewolves only turn once a month.” I spoke without thinking and immediately froze. Should I not have mentioned the werewolf part? Was he going to shove me out of the truck?</p>
<p>But Kory simply shook his head and slowed down at a sharp curve, taking it nice and slow so as not to throw us into the waiting ditch. “Technically, an entire full moon only lasts a minute. True full moons are only complete for one night, but the phase lasts three days. That’s what I track.”</p>
<p>“Track?”</p>
<p>He didn’t answer. Instead, he cut the engine and I noticed we were stopped by the side of the road. In the middle of nowhere to be exact. Kory got out and I followed suit. He started walking a ways away and I quickly followed.</p>
<p>As we walked along the road, I could see an area protruding off it and into the surrounding woods. Another truck, a large red F-150, sat next to a slim silver sports car parked haphazardly. Kory headed straight for it and I hesitantly continued to trail along behind.</p>
<p>He suddenly swiveled around, arms crossed and chin tilted up. “I’m a werewolf aide.”</p>
<p>A what now? “...A what now?”</p>
<p>He smiled and I wanted to shake his shoulders out with the force of every bit of confusion that plagued my body. “Werewolf aide. It’ll take a lot of explaining, but essentially I help keep the secrecy and identity of werewolves underwraps. That’s why I was so adamant that you forget about what you saw.”</p>
<p>Otherwise it meant he failed. That part went unsaid but I understood it well enough. “So...why are we out here?”</p>
<p>Kory looked to the forest. “Listen.”</p>
<p>I shut my mouth and did as he said. Heavy silence with the occasional breeze rolling a tree branch into another. I stepped closer to him and whispered, “What are we listening for?”</p>
<p>“Nothing. Which means they haven’t shifted yet.” He stared up at the sky and I did the same, tilting my head a full 90 degrees.</p>
<p>The earlier blue sky had been painted over with various colors. Orange hues mixed with the pink of the clouds, all grazing away from the ball of light dipping down behind the trees. Purple started to emerge and it was as if the sun was setting faster than normal.</p>
<p>Then I saw it. A faint but preeminent full moon hung amongst the fading clouds. It turned solid with all the intensity of the weight gradually impending in my chest. I don’t know how long I stared at it, but I stood mesmerized until a howl broke through the air.</p>
<p>My head snapped forward just in time to see Kory grinning from ear to ear. The weight lessened as he looked to me. “Last Day time.”</p>
<p>“What time??”</p>
<p>Once again, instead of answering, he began walking away from me. And towards the woods. When he realized I wasn’t behind him, he stopped at the edge and turned back to me. “Are you coming, Dillon?”</p>
<p>Fear gripped every muscle in my body, squeezing it like a boa constrictor. I didn’t even feel like I could move my head, much less follow Kory into what felt like a trap. Whose cars were parked here? Why would werewolves need to drive? Was he going to be chased once again? Was being a werewolf aide just putting your life on the line?</p>
<p>Something touched my shoulder and I jumped, but it was only Kory with his hand on me. His eyebrows creased into a concerned expression. “You don’t have to do this, you know. You can drive my truck back to your place and I’ll get a ride back with one of the others.”</p>
<p>‘One of the others’. For some reason, just that phrase jump started something in my brain and I shook my head. “No, no, it’s fine. I- I got this.”</p>
<p>Kory smiled and whatever startled my mind into participation cheered at the sight. He patted my shoulder and went back to the woods, this time with me on his heels.</p>
<p>As we shoved our way through the fallen leaves, Kory fell back so he was right next to me. “I should’ve asked this before, but can you climb trees?” His voice cracked on the question but I didn’t point it out.</p>
<p>I nodded and he sighed with relief. “Good. Now listen, this is going to be a...dangerous role. You’re not an aide, you don’t know what you’re doing, and during full moons the wolves are willing to attack anything.”</p>
<p>“Thanks for making me feel better, Kore. Really appreciate it.”</p>
<p>He twisted his mouth wiredly. “Sorry, I just wanted you to know what you’re getting yourself into. But all I want you to do is distract.”</p>
<p>“Distract?”</p>
<p>“If you even hear what you think is a wolf, I want you to run. Run and climb a tree as fast you can.”</p>
<p>Was he serious? “That’s all? Climbing a tree is what’s going to distract an overgrown dog and keep me safe?”</p>
<p>“I wouldn’t call them that when we’re in their domain.” His smile twisted into a smirk. “They have good hearing.”</p>
<p>“Unlike us. We’re going to be deaf in, like, a year at this rate.”</p>
<p>“Probably.”</p>
<p>With that lovely tidbit, Kory ran in a seemingly random direction and I was left alone.</p>
<p>The first couple hours ran uneventful. I roamed the forest aimlessly, hoping I didn’t go too far from the road. But from what Kory said, I could only guess the wolves could be anywhere in the whole woods. I wondered if I would even run into one at all.</p>
<p>The entire operation was perplexing. What about helping the werewolves involved distracting them during full moon? Why did they need a human to be an aide?</p>
<p>Just that question welcomed even more. <i>Was</i> Kory human? If werewolves were real, what else was? Vampires, dragons, demons, all the possibilities ran through my head. He could be a witch, those were real. My own cousin was one, though I wasn’t sure what the extent of that pertained.</p>
<p>For sure, he was an aide for the wolves. Were humans meant to be aides or were they some kind of subhuman? I couldn’t even think of what they could need an aide for. Was it safe? Was Kory safe doing this kind of thing?</p>
<p>Why was I so worried?</p>
<p>He was my friend. Right.</p>
<p>I was so wrapped up in my head, I didn’t notice my surroundings until my forehead collided with the rough bark of a tree full force. I lurched back and rubbed the scratched skin, hoping it wouldn’t start bleeding. Sighing, I leaned my head against the tree and closed my eyes. The rough bark was cool and prickly in the cool Fall night air.</p>
<p>Eventually, I turned around and slid down until I was on the forest floor. I really wished Kory had stayed with me, would’ve been much more enjoyable than the nerves wracking my brain sitting in the middle of the woods in the dead of night.</p>
<p>I must’ve dozed off at some point because suddenly my eyes were flying open. My hands grappled the ground, scattering dirt and dead leaves every which way. My head spun around looking for the source of whatever woke me up.</p>
<p>
  <i>“Grrrrr…”</i>
</p>
<p>I scrambled to my feet, my head now whirling in crescents with panic. The emptiness of the woods screamed back at me in bleak decibels. Dead silence flooded my mind as it dawned on me that one of the bushes was moving.</p>
<p>Silver fur waved through the branches like perfect silk. It almost shone in the moonlight, sleek and beautiful contrasted against the rugged wood surrounding the wolf. Large, crimson eyes bore into my very soul and I stumbled back.</p>
<p>Run. I was supposed to run. But the wolf was way too close; if I even tried making a break for it, I was dead. Or worse, mangled. I considered calling for Kory but my throat was held shut by metal claws. Soon to be animal claws.</p>
<p>The wolf growled with bared teeth and just as I was preparing to try my luck with the tree, a very welcomed body fell in front of me.</p>
<p>Kory got to his feet and stood in between me and the wolf in a protective stance, back to me and his forearm held up as if holding a shield. He took one step towards the wolf and it followed suit.</p>
<p>“Lua,” he said carefully. “He isn’t a threat, you know that. Follow the other scent, okay?”</p>
<p>The wolf, Lua apparently, lowered their head and stared daggers at me. I gulped and they snarled.</p>
<p>“Lua.” The wolf snapped to Kory and for a second, I was worried all over again for his safety. Their nose wrinkled as it sniffed the light green checkered flannel. Once they did, Kory moved to the side and I sucked in a breath.</p>
<p>I didn’t have any time to open my mouth to tell him not to before he took off running once again. This time, a wolf right on his path. I wanted to be relieved that Lua no longer seemed interested in me, but now all I could feel was fear and worry for my friend.</p>
<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</p>
<p>The rest of the night dragged on. I didn’t see another wolf and I wasn’t sure if I was elated or disappointed about that. Definitely happy Lua never came back but that just fueled my imagination of what happened to Kory.</p>
<p>I stayed in my safe haven of the nearest tree I could climb as soon as Lua and Kory ran off until the first rays of the sunrise peaked through the leaves. I jumped down, bending my knees to embrace the impact.</p>
<p>Just as I was realizing I had no idea which way was the road, a stick snapped somewhere beside me. I whirled around to see Kory standing a few feet from me, tired but alive. I wanted to drop to the ground from exhaustion, I wanted to run over and hug Kory out of relief, I wanted to drag his stubborn and risk-taking ass back to the truck and drive him home myself.</p>
<p>“I see you’re doing well,” was all that came out instead. Close enough.</p>
<p>Kory laughed and I let out the breath I didn’t even know I was holding and laughed with him. He came over and lightly punched my shoulder. “Lua didn’t scare you too bad, did she?”</p>
<p>I waved him off, heart pounding. “Nah of course not! I totally had that handled.”</p>
<p>“Did you now?” he asked, starting to walk and gestured for me to follow him.</p>
<p>I just shrugged. No point in trying to keep up a front with him. Maybe that’d make next time easier, if there even was a next time after what happened. “Okay so maybe it freaked me out a bit.”</p>
<p>“I’m honestly surprised you’re not freaking out more. You looked terrified last time and you were the one holding the tranq gun.” Kory laughed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey I thought it was a real gun!”</p>
<p>“That’s even worse!”</p>
<p>I laughed along with him and smiled as we walked through the woods, leaves crunching under our feet as the sky gradually grew brighter. “How do you not get freaked out about all this? You were so calm staring down a wolf for feck’s sake. Which was badass, by the way.”</p>
<p>Kory huffed out a laugh but just shook his head. “I’m just used to it is all. And I knew Lua wouldn’t hurt me. I’ve been doing this...a while.”</p>
<p><i>A while.</i> I couldn’t stop the scene from Twilight playing in my head. “How long is ‘a while’?”</p>
<p>Kory snuck an amused glance at me. “Three years, give or take.”</p>
<p>I blew out a low whistle. “You’re a veteran at running with the werewolves, huh?”</p>
<p>“I guess so. That make you the newbie?”</p>
<p>“I guess so.”</p>
<p>Two people were standing by the cars left by the road along with Kory’s. An older guy with black coily hair was leaning against the silver car, chatting happily with a girl right next to him. Not as tall as Carson, but close, with long white hair. They turned to us as soon as we trampled out of the woods and piercing blue eyes accompanied the mystical hair.</p>
<p>Oh no.</p>
<p>“<i>You.</i>” She stomped over and I quickly took multiple steps back. “What are you doing here?!”</p>
<p>“Uh, ya see, Kory-”</p>
<p>“Right! Kory!” She turned her attention to Kory, who just had a bemused smile. “What were you thinking?”</p>
<p>“I’ll explain the whole story later, but just know he’s chill.”</p>
<p>“‘Chill’? How can you expect us to-”</p>
<p>“Calm down, Lu.” The guy placed a hand on her shoulder and she immediately stopped glaring. His voice was like slick molasses. Most Louisiana accents I couldn’t stand but I could listen to this guy talk all day.</p>
<p>Kory threw an arm around my shoulders and I sucked in a breath. It was the most physical contact we’d had since we started hanging out.</p>
<p>“Dillon, this is Lua-” he gestured to the girl who was still glaring like it was her only job in life “-and this is Aland.” The guy waved with a grin and I think I fell slightly in love.</p>
<p>Lua scowled at me and I took a step back, putting my hands up in surrender. Kory, thankfully, stepped in between us and looked at her with pleading eyes. “Come on, Lua. Do you really trust me that little that you think I’d bring a threat to the pack right to you?”</p>
<p>“You I trust. <i>Him</i>,” she spit, as if the taste of my pronoun on her tongue was poison, “I don’t. He’s lucky you jumped in before I could sink my teeth into him.”</p>
<p>“You wouldn’t’ve.” Kory sounded pretty confident but from Lua’s expression, I wasn’t so sure.</p>
<p>Aland joined our little mexican standoff and rested his hand on the top of Lua’s head. “Kory wouldn’t endanger us like that, you know that. If he trusts this guy, then so do I.” He smiled softly at me and all I could think was how I didn’t deserve trust or smiles from this person. This werewolf.</p>
<p>Lua huffed and turned on her heel, heading towards the large truck. “I’ll text you later, Kory,” she called out over her shoulder.</p>
<p>Kory simply gave a weak wave and without thinking, I reached out and poked the emerging dark circles under his eyes. He didn’t jump or appear startled in any way, but he did blink at me and tilt his head in confusion.</p>
<p>“You really need sleep,” was all I could say in my defense.</p>
<p>Aland chuckled and I swear I could hear birds singing. “He always does. He never sleeps before these nights for whatever reason. But I’ll see you for Field Day, right?”</p>
<p>Kory nodded. “Absolutely.”</p>
<p>“And maybe, if he proves himself worth, Dillon can join.”</p>
<p>My ears perked up. “Really?”</p>
<p>Aland grinned and waved before sinking into his car. As his tires kicked up all the dust on the road, Kory let out a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. “Come on, I should get you back before your moms realize you’re gone. Did you tell them you were going anywhere?”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry about that. I told them I was spending the night with a friend.” I stretched my arms above my head and winced with satisfaction at every bone pop. Snap crackle pop went all my bones these days.</p>
<p>I yawned as soon as I closed the truck door. Kory chuckled and reached over to ruffle my hair and I immediately snapped my mouth closed. I have no idea why, but thankfully he didn’t notice. He kicked the truck into drive and we were off.</p>
<p>“So,” Kory said, startling me, “now that you don’t have the threat of suspicious wolves breathing down your neck, what’re you thinking?”</p>
<p>“That you’re insane for doing this every month.” I huffed out a laugh. He was right, I was a lot calmer now that Lua wasn’t glaring down my existence. “What exactly are you doing?”</p>
<p>He was silent for a moment. We rolled up to a stop sign and he dropped his hands onto his lap. “Werewolves aren’t fully coherent during full moons. They go after whatever scent, usually human, they smell. My job is to be that scent for the night. It’s to keep them from barreling right into someone’s yard or Downtown.” He looked at me and his eyes were even whiter in the daybreak light. Almost mystical. Mesmerizing even.</p>
<p>“Dillon?” Kory leaned over and waved a hand in front of my face. “You there?”</p>
<p>I shook my head. “What?”</p>
<p>“You zoned out on me. Are you okay?” He leaned back and my chest dropped. “Is this too much for you?”</p>
<p>I almost said yes. I wanted to say yes. All things considered, including nearly getting eaten hours prior as well as spending the last 24 hours wide awake, saying it was all too much would be a viable answer.</p>
<p>But it wasn’t. If I was being truthful, it was almost exciting. And all I could feel was eagerness to know more of this world Kory was neck deep in while I was merely dipping my toes.</p>
<p>“Nah, never. In fact, what more can you tell me?”</p>
<p>Kory laughed and a heavily sleepy grin widened on my face. “After you get some sleep. We’re both off today so you have no excuse to not at least get a few hours.” His hands resumed at ten and two and we were off again, bumping along the dirt road out of the back woods.</p>
<p>The sun was a burning ball in my retinas. I was definitely going to have dark circles under my eyes and I was grateful I didn’t have work that day. I would end up with my torn limbs spinning with the brushes in the tunnel.</p>
<p>No regrets.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Criticism is highly appreciated or any kind of feedback! I want this to be something people enjoy reading.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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